Boris Sidis

Born in 1867 in the Russian Empire, he later built his career in the United States as a psychologist, physician, and author. He studied at Harvard, where William James was an important influence, and went on to become known for research on psychopathology, hypnosis, and suggestion.

His books included The Psychology of Suggestion and other works on mental processes, crowd behavior, and nervous disorders. He was part of an early generation of thinkers trying to study the hidden layers of the mind in a more systematic way, and later writers remembered him as an important figure in the development of abnormal and dynamic psychology.

Sidis died in 1923. He is also often remembered today as the father of child prodigy William James Sidis, but his own career stands on its own as a notable chapter in the early history of psychology and psychiatry.